There is a County Forest Conservation Fund. Money deposited into the Fund must be used in accordance with the adopted County budget and this Section:
(a) In lieu fees. Money deposited in the Forest Conservation Fund must be spent on the reforestation and afforestation for which the money is deposited, including costs directly related to site identification, acquisition, design, preparation, or maintenance of existing forests, and achieving urban canopy goals, and must not revert to the General Fund. The permanent preservation of priority forests, including identification and acquisition of a site, may be substituted for reforestation and afforestation at a rate of 2 acres of forest preservation for each acre of planting required. Funds remaining after all reforestation and afforestation requirements are satisfied may be spent on any other tree conservation activity, including street tree planting.
(b) Penalties. Money collected for noncompliance with a forest conservation plan or the associated 5-year maintenance agreement must be deposited in a separate account in the forest conservation fund. Money deposited in this fund may be used to administer this Chapter. (1992 L.M.C., ch. 4, § 1;
2001 L.M.C., ch 19
, § 1; 2010 L.M.C., ch. 55, § 1; 2021 L.M.C., ch. 1, § 1.)
Editor’s note—2001 L.M.C., ch. 19, § 2, reads as follows:
Transition. Any amendment to Chapter 22A, inserted by Section 1 of this Act, does not apply to:
(a) a preliminary or final forest conservation plan approved before this Act took effect [November 5, 2001], or
(b) a county highway project individually listed in the County Capital Improvements Program and submitted to the Planning Board under mandatory referral review before this Act took effect [November 5, 2001].